Mahindra Reva to launch electric vehicle

New Delhi: Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicle (MREV) on Wednesday said it will introduce a new electric vehicle in the next 18 months based on a model from parent group Mahindra & Mahindra’s existing portfolio.

“In the next 18 months, we will launch an M&M product with electric vehicle technology in India," MREV chief of technology and strategy Chetan Maini told reporters on the sidelines of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (SIAM) annual summit here.

The company has already fitted the technology in M&M’s vehicles and it is currently being tested, he added. Maini, however, declined to name the Mahindra vehicle in which the electric technology will be introduced for commercial sale.

M&M had earlier announced plans to roll out its flagship sports utility vehicle, ‘Scorpio’, with an electric fuel option and gradually introduce it in other models as well.

In 2010, M&M had acquired majority stake in Reva.

When asked about Reva’s dealership network, Maini said, “We will gradually introduce a Reva electric car in all Mahindra outlets. Our plan is to have 50 outlets by end of this year and go up to 100 showrooms by the end of next year."

The company currently sells the Reva car through 24 Mahindra showrooms and two of Reva’s own outlets.

Maini also said the company is evaluating the possibility of overseas distribution of its vehicles through M&M dealerships abroad. He said the company will introduce its ‘NXR’ model next year and is also looking to roll-out the ‘NXD’ model.

The company is currently expanding its production capacity from 3,000 units to 30,000 units with the opening of a second production facility in Bangalore.